Full Circle
by QuiescenceAerium
Summary: Alice and Hatter are settling in the real world when events bring them back to Wonderland to face new evils and new circumstances
1. Chapter 1

AN: Ok so this is one of my first attempts at fan fiction after many years of reading many different fandoms. I'm still trying to work out the major over-arching plot but I thought these first chapters are a decent stand-alone in case I lose my muse or my nerve. I set it after they part in wonderland because I needed to change the timeline a bit to fit with the rest of my story as planned. So please enjoy and let me know if you think it's a premise worth exploring some more, reviews are the best kind of encouragement. Also the formatting changes a bit between the first couple of chapters but it will get better from then on.

Disclaimer: I don't own nuthin.

Summary: Alice and Hatter are getting settled in to life in the "real" world when circumstances bring them back to wonderland to face new evils and new challenges.

* * *

"And lots of other things."  
"It's time to go Alice," said the impatient looking glass technician.  
"Really, I was just-" working up the nerve, Hatter thought.  
And they pushed her. Hatter felt as though a piece of him had been torn and gone through the glass with her. He had offered her pizza and she had offered him lots of other things. He had no idea what other things was limited to but his imagination could come up with many things. He started to walk towards the door out of the looking glass chamber when it occurred to him he had nowhere to go. His place was trashed, the resistance had won, the tea business is shut down, his family had all been killed long ago helping the resistance, and he had re-killed his oldest friend the day before. He had no purpose left in Wonderland, his purpose had become her, and he had to tell her. Hatter turned around and walked to the looking glass, cutting in front of the oysters set to return. He adjusted his jacket and fixed his hat on his head.  
"Right then, I'm next." This caught Jack's attention.  
"You think you have a right to go after her?" Hatter was getting very tired of Jack getting in his way.  
"Look here Prince," he said with great distaste.  
"It's King now actually."  
"I don't bloody care. I know that I am not royalty, but since the moment I have met that girl I have sacrificed my safety and my happiness repeatedly for hers. I sacrificed my home and all my possessions. I had a lot of nice clothes too, not to mention hats, things that are very hard to come by in Wonderland. Not to mention the fact that I took a bullet for her, I threw myself to the suits to rescue her, I was tortured for her, I even had to kill for her, and I would go through it all again just to spend another five days with her. So if you don't let me past I'm going to have to repeat one of those actions, hopefully not the getting shot and tortured." The threat was a bluff but Hatter really meant the rest.  
Jack studied him hard for a few minutes, with a very thoughtful look on his then started walking towards the door out of the chamber.  
"Follow me."  
Hatter tried to make a run at the looking glass but a couple of suits stopped him.  
"Ok, I was bluffing about the killing business, but you have to give a bloke points for style."  
Jack looked at Hatter with a great look of annoyance.  
"Do you trust me?" Hatter was beginning to see how that question can be so annoying.  
"Yes of course, but I don't want to miss her."  
"You won't, now follow me."

* * *

Jack led Hatter throughout the city until they arrived at White Rabbit headquarters. They walked through the doors and the place was filled with newly awakened oysters. The former white rabbit agents were returning all the possession that were taken off of them when they were brought here. Hatter figured there were only 1/3 of the oysters that should be there.  
"Where are all of the oysters that have been drained?"

"Unfortunately not all oysters can be brought back once drained. As for the rest, the process to re-animate them is very complicated, especially since we lost our scientist with the most expertise on the subject." Hatter thought of the look on Alice's face when her father was shot in her arms. He couldn't imagine what it was like to see you parents die so horrifically. He found out about his parents dying through resistance channels and that was hard enough.

Jack walked over to one of the agents.

"Can I have all of the items for Jack Chase?"

"You're not coming back with me, I can handle this myself thank you."

"They are for you."

"I don't understand."

"I had an apartment there, bank accounts, things you will need to stay in their world. And I have connections there, ones you will need if you are going to help me."

"Help you with what exactly?" This didn't sound good.

"There are a lot of oysters who have been away from home for a long time. They may need help finding their families and reestablishing themselves once back. I need an ambassador of sorts. In return for your services you can have my apartment, my sizeable bank account, and you can use the contacts to create a new identity for yourself."

"Why are you doing all this, what is the catch?" Hatter had learned a long time ago that if someone is scratching your back they are going to want the scratching returned, and this refugee story seemed convenient.

"There is no catch. I care deeply for Alice, despite what you may think, and I believe she deserves a chance at happiness. From what I have seen, and what you have told me I think you may be that chance."

The agent returned with Jack's wallet, keys, and mobile phone. Jack handed them over to Hatter.

"So I can go then because I really don't want to lose her, literally, big place there."

"This brings me to a point I have to warn you about."

"Here it comes."

"This is important. When I returned from their world I learned that time moves much slower there. I spent two months searching for Alice and getting close to her, but when I returned, nearly a year had passed here. This will be jarring for some of the oysters whom have spent more than 20 years here, when only three have passed in their time. We're sending back the ones that have been here the shortest amount of time first. The rest we are taking down what information they remember so you can do some reconnaissance, find out what kind of situation they are going back to."

"It's not that I don't want to help, but I know very little about that world. I have no idea how to find a decent tea shop, let alone the oyster's long lost loves. I have no idea how to help."

"As I have said, we have contacts there, members of the resistance that were banished and have assimilated. They used to track white rabbits movements in their world so they are fully equipped to aid the new white rabbit agenda. Not to mention there is a certain young lady there who has spent the better part of ten years tracking her missing father. I imagine she will be a great resource."

"Well I'm not sure she'll be so willing to dive down that rabbit hole again."

"I think she will empathize with people who just want their family members back."

"So we done here, I really don't want to be late for an extremely important date."


	2. Chapter 2

Hatter fell out of the looking glass and braced himself to hit ground. The experience left him jarred. Then he saw Alice, passed out on the ground next to him.

"Alice wake up!" He pulled her head into his lap and stroked her face. "Please Alice respond," but she still was not coming to.

"Can anybody help?" He started yelling hoping somebody would be nearby, but he was met only with the garbled sound of the city floating down the alley. Just as his panic was beginning to rise, the mirror made another sound and an oyster fell through. It was the tall man that had threatened the Queen in protection of Alice after the casino fell. After a few moments the man seemed to perk up as well.

"She is unconscious and not responding, I don't know where to take her." The Hatter is always the man with a plan so being out of control in a place he was wholly unfamiliar was an experience he was not coping with well.

"Ok follow me."

Hatter picked up Alice and cradled her into his arms. He followed the man as he walked down the alley and made a few turns bringing them to a very busy street. The man ran out and signaled a cab.

"This will take us to the hospital."

"Thank you for your help." Hatter can be a stubborn man but too much was at stake.

"This is the least I can do for the people that freed me."

Hatter got into the back seat of the cab carefully so as not to jar her further. The freed oyster jumped into the front seat.

"Mount Sinai Hospital as fast as you can," he commanded.

"Sure thing officer."

Hatter looked out the window as they rushed towards the hospital. The city looked very similar to wonderland, just busier, much more crowded. He looked down at Alice with much fear. Jack had told him that the journey can be very disorienting for some people, being pushed through couldn't have helped her either. Hatter was convinced if he came across that looking glass technician again he would give him a disorienting push in kind. Finally the cab arrived at the hospital. The freed oyster got out first and helped Hatter lift out Alice gently.

"The emergency room is just through those doors. Tell the nurses at the desk that you found her unconscious and she isn't responding and they should help you right away. I would go with you but I have family I am desperate to get back to."

"Right absolutely. Thank you again." He yelled behind him as he was already running through the doors.

* * *

Hatter paced desperately in the waiting room to get any word on how she was. They had moved her out of the emergency room so he took that as a good sign. Suddenly the doors to the waiting room were thrown open by a frantic woman who rushed to the nurse's station.

"I need to see my daughter, Alice Hamilton, is she ok?" This caught Hatter's attention, as he was eavesdropping. He knew he would most likely meet her here but he wasn't sure what to say.

"Ma'am the doctor will be out in a moment to go over everything with you. In the mean time you might want to thank the man that found your daughter and brought her in," the nurse told her, gesturing towards Hatter. He took off his hat and played with the brim, waving sheepishly at her mother. After a beat Alice's mother rushed over and hugged Hatter with bracing strength. He got the feeling Alice had inherited her strength from her mother, her father hadn't seemed particularly athletically inclined.

"How can I ever thank you enough?" She said with tears glittering her eyes. Hatter couldn't help but notice how similar their hugs were, though Alice's invoked much more feeling.

"Really ma'am it's no problem. My mum would have thought she'd done a poor job if she had raised a boy who could walk by an unconscious girl in an alley and not done what he could to help her."

"Well the name is Carol and she can rest easy knowing she raised a fine young man." Hatter prided himself on a good first impression with Carol.

The doors leading to the patient's rooms opened and a doctor approached them.

"You are Alice Hamilton's mother?"

"Yes Carol Hamilton," she shook his hand.

"Hi I'm Dr. Hahn. Well we have performed a cat-scan, ct-scan, and multiple x-rays and we can't find any damage." Carol gave a big sigh of relief and squeezed Hatter's arm, he enjoyed the little sign of affection.

"Is she conscious? Can I see her?"

"Well she hasn't woken yet but we can't find any reason why she won't soon. Provided that she does we only need to monitor her overnight and she can be released tomorrow. You can go see her whenever you like."

"Thank you doctor." Dr. Hahn walked back through the doors and Carol turned to Hatter. "You must let me pay you back in some way."

Hatter blushed and began to play with his hat brim again. "It's really not necessary Carol. Though if it isn't too much of an imposition I would like to possibly check in with your daughter tomorrow, make sure my good deed for the week hasn't been for naught."

"Oh absolutely, I'm sure Alice would like to meet her knight in shining armor." Hatter couldn't help but think of himself dressed as Charlie rescuing Alice like some damsel in distress. The thought brought a dimpled smile to his face. Carol wrote down their address and handed it to him. He failed to mention that Jack had given it to him previously in case Alice had too much of a head start.

"Why don't you come around three, I'm sure we will be back and settled by then. I just realized I never got your name." He put the address in his pocket and readjusted his hat on his head.

"It's Hatter, David Hatter."


	3. Chapter 3

"Mom?" Alice was finally coming to.  
"I'm right here sweetie." In that moment the last 5 days came rushing back to her, capped by the memory of her father killed in her arms.  
"He's gone." She started to sob. "Dad is really gone." Her mother held her as she cried, just as her Father had held her after Dinah died. She finally regained herself after an hour or so.  
"How long was I gone?"  
"Oh honey you ran out of the apartment after Jack and you just didn't come back. I got so worried, ever since your father left you never stay out without letting me know when you will be home. I started searching everywhere, Jack's apartment, the gym, I called all the hospitals. Even some of the other instructors from the gym pitched in. Finally after almost 24 hours I got a call from the hospital saying they had a person admitted who matched your description. I just had the worst scenarios going through my head, but I got here and the doctor said he couldn't find an injury on you. I don't know what would have happened if that amazing man hadn't found you. His name is David and he is the sweetest guy. He stayed with you until I could get here."  
Alice had trouble following her mom's excited speech. Alice was especially stuck on the 24 hour part. She had been in Wonderland the better part of a week. "Mom slow down, I'm still not fully coherent."  
"Alice, what happened?" Alice was so wrapped up with leaving wonderland and leaving Hatter the thought never occurred to her that she would have to explain where she was. If she tried to explain the whole Wonderland experience to her mother she had the feeling they wouldn't be letting her out of this hospital any time soon.

"It's still a little fuzzy. I remember running after Jack to return his ring. I thought I heard him run into the alley and I heard a struggle. I remember running into the alley and that is it. I must have been knocked out from behind. Where is Jack's ring?" She knew it wouldn't be found, but it did back up her story.  
"The hospital didn't find anything on you. Maybe David can take you back to where he found you, it could have fallen out of your pocket."

"No I'm sure it's gone. That's probably why I was knocked out."  
"Honey I need to talk to you about Jack. No one can find him. We pulled his info from the gym when we were looking for you and he hasn't been at his apartment and his cell phone is turned off."  
"Before he rushed out of our apartment he was talking about meeting his parents and leaving right away, he is probably overseas by now. I don't think he will be back any time soon."  
"I'm sorry sweetie. I really did want things to work out between you, despite the impression I may have given."  
"It's ok Mom, it wasn't meant to be." Alice was deeply saddened at the thought of "meant to be". The phrase made her think of a certain person who was most definitely not Jack, but they finally had their chance and neither took it. She had tried to drop hints but he really didn't seem interested. The full implications of their final conversation and possible brush-off had not hit her fully and she was just fine not thinking about it yet. "Mom I need to rest, clear out some of this fuzziness."  
"Ok sweetie. The doctors said pending you wake up they only need to keep you overnight for observation and then we can go home tomorrow."  
"Thanks mom, I love you." Losing her father made her appreciate her mom.  
"I love you too. Now get some rest!" Alice's mom walked out of the room and shut the door behind her, and once again Alice's thoughts drifted to Hatter. She had a feeling she wouldn't be seeing him anytime soon, which left her with a deep sense of loss. Maybe her luck meeting guys hadn't changed after all.

* * *

Carol was finishing up the paperwork thinking about how relieved she was to have Alice back. The flashbacks to when her husband disappeared had been unbearable, especially if Alice was where she thought she was. Carol had been hoping she was wrong. Alice asking how long she was gone was odd. Getting mugged and being passed out for 24 hours with no injuries is highly improbable. But it's what Alice said in her sleep afterward that all but confirmed her suspicions. She was tossing quite agitated, and when Carol had tried to calm her she almost yells "No, the stone! Not the Queen of Hearts."


End file.
